A (much shorter) one-shot whose plot bunny started nagging me earlier this morning! Hopefully this one's a bit better than Crossings . . .
(Note: Written between eleven and twelve in the dead of night, when the author did want to start getting back into the previous sleeping schedule established when school was in session—which will start again a day. Which is why the author would like to start sleeping at eleven rather than one, and get a few more hours of rest. If the quality isn't the usual, well, it's the two halves of my brain arguing whether or not to go to sleep. ;D However, both halves agreed that I had to get this written down soon, before I forgot . . .)
Ooooh. Disclaimer; I'm definitely not Diane Duane or HarperCollins! Any YW material belongs to them. :D
Counting the Same Stars
It's not the same, living out of Time. It doesn't feel as—as . . . real . . .
To you, maybe. Your life was centered around the things that happened as time passed. To Us, this is life.
There was a pause as Power and former Power-host regarded each other, almost unsure of what to say now that the climax had passed and the enemy was defeated, however temporarily. The One had risen and the Fallen defeated—what else was there to say, to do?
Ponch . . . I'm afraid I have to leave you now, the One said finally, breaking through the heavy silence. We may have given the dogs their One, but there are other species far from here, waiting . . .
A soft whine drew the One's attention back to Ponch. Then where are we?
Ponch could see the Power considering Its answer carefully, finding the right way to word it so that he could understand. You have to know, It said slowly, Time isn't what it is to Us as it is to you. For you, and many other species, it's a way of life, something that has been a vital part of survival since the beginning. But for Us, it's almost a habitat, a special territory where things work differently . . . A bit like Timeheart.
He didn't understand—not completely—but it was something. So he decided to throw out the really important question: Will I get to see them again?
At that the One sighed and met Ponch's gaze, even and steady but reluctant. Yes . . . But not for long. Do you truly believe that it was all worth it?
Ponch huffed in almost amusement. Well, I helped some wizards, created a couple universes, watched a new Power rise—and became one myself. Not to mention I got plenty of biscuits on top of all that. I'm pretty sure that's more than most my kind can even imagine.
The One nodded. Think of it this way, It said, almost as an afterthought, You're still with them, just not the way you used to. They, the Hesper, and many others will remember you for a long time yet, and you are a Power, technically—you are part of every one of your species now. Use that, and your abilities, to your advantage. It paused, letting Ponch mull that over.
And, whenever you can't do that . . . Know that you're all seeing the same stars.
There was always that vastness factor that fascinated both wizards and non-wizards. The enormous, endless universes, the knowledge that you could direct the energy and power in them and knowing that you knew all this . . . You, small and unremarkable, and yet a vital part of this unimaginably complex intricacy.
It was that wonder and awe that inspired so many to gaze beyond their horizons to whatever lay further out, to the silent worlds of space that simply waited there, waiting to be explored and understood and ultimately discovered. Wizards and astronomers alike reached out to it, trying and hoping to grasp some perspective of that vast emptiness that would help them know.
And even the less knowledge-thirsty fraction of the population found solace and comfort in counting the stars, knowing that endless others were doing the same.
(That wasn't too bad, was it?)
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